The next day trish rushed into our bedroom telling us that hardins father had called asking if we could come to their Christmas party and that she had said yes.
Later that day we all started to get ready, I wore this:
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We pulled up into the driveway and trish and Hardin got out, I collected myself and grabbed my phone and zipped it up inside my bag. I joined them outside and followed them up to the mansion. We got greeted by the chancellors wife, Karen and her and trish said their introductions while Hardin stood awkwardly so I hugged onto his arm. We said hi to Karen and walked inside, Landon also came over and said hi. Ken (the chancellor) walked around the corner and looked at us, trish made her way over to him and hugged him, making hardins mouth open "well, come in! Merry Christmas" Ken announced and I walked inside, Hardin following after me. I hugged the chancellor and looked back at a very uncomfortable Hardin but before I could say anything Trisha lead us into another room.
I stood awkwardly with Landon for awhile, talking about anything until Ken began to talk loudly "okay, I hope everyone has a hearty appetite" he started "Karen is a dynamite cook" he added and Hardin walked up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind "yes she is!" Landon announced "where'd you go?" I asked Hardin "just for a walk" he replied"so trish... I hear that this is your first time in the states?" Landon questioned "yeah it is" "and how do you like it?" He asked "there's a lot to see" she smiled softly "it's kind of worn out it's welcome, if you ask me. Be happy to get back home once I graduate" Hardin piped up, making the group look at him "you going back home when you graduate" a confused girl (me obviously) asked him "yeah of course I am" he said rudely making me give him a death stare, he just rubbed his thumb on my hip and rested his head on my shoulder "trish, can I get you another glass of champagne before you leave us?" Karen questioned, I was still fuming over what Hardin said "no, but it was lovely. Thank you" she exclaimed "I'm so glad you like it. We got it in Greece on our honeymoon" Karen said, leaving us "I stuck to Pellegrino" Ken added as she walked away "we stayed in this gorgeous villa. Did you know that the beaches in Santorum are made up of volcanic pebbles, so there's no sand to make the water murky. So it is a crystal clear-" as Ken explained this Hardin unwrapped his arms from around me and began to laugh "what the fuck is wrong with you?" He raised his voice making trish say his name "excuse me?" An offended chancellor Scott questioned "look at your fucking trousers" Hardin announced, pointing his hand at kens red and blue plead trousers "I'm sorry mum, but seriously, do you have any sensitivity whatsoever?" He let out, walking closer to his dad "your just boorishly droning on with no regard for the lives you destroyed" he shouted "p-perhaps we could find a more private place to have this conversation" he asked softly "by all means" an angry Hardin said sarcastically. Ken lead him outside "it's bill gates" Hardin laughed, I followed them out and me and Trisha stood at the doorway "okay, we'll you are obviously quite upset with me, so go ahead and say what's on your mind" mr Scott told his son who was at least 3 feet taller than him "why did you even invite us here?" Hardin asked, laughing to calm himself down "I invited you here because your my family" chancellor began to argue "we're not your family. We were your family" Hardin corrected bluntly "you ran out on us and reinvented-" he added "hardin I thought we were past this" Ken interrupted "we didn't get past it. How were we supposed to get past it? You haven't owned up to anything!" He shouted even louder than before "your twelve steps- making amends. Where's mums amends? Mum have you got your amends yet?!" Harden ranted "what would you like me to do?" His father interrupted "you don't think that I'm consumed by guilt? I knew that night that I had to go" Ken added "no! After that night you had to stay! That night happened because of you!" Hardin screamed in Ken's face "yes! And I have been haunted by it for the last ten years!" Ken screamed back "it haunts you?! I fucking watched it happen, you bastard!" Hardin swung his hand and punched his dad in the face, making him fall to the ground and wobble into the house as quick as he could "Hardin" trish screamed at her son making him grunt and run after his mum who was making her way outside "I'm sorry mum" he whined, she ignored and kept walking through the drive way "I had to" he added, she ignored him again as she walked to Hardins black car "no, wait. You don't have to get an Uber, I can give you a ride" she lifted up the boot of his car "after the shit you've just pulled? Not to mention, your drunk" She ranted, pulling out her suit case "look, I'm sorry I'm not like you. You may be able to forget everything He did, but I can't" he explained "I haven't forgotten anything. I've chosen to forgive him so that I can move on" she said walking up into her immature sons face "Hardin, resentments like this are gonna destroy you. And there gonna take Haley right down with you" she told him as she spotted her uber that had just pulled into the driveway, she put her stuff in the car and climbed into the back seat and the driver drove away. Hardin stood against his car like he was about to cry "you just make it worse for yourself" I told him, digging my hand into his pocket and pulling out his keys and getting into the car.
The drive was just us arguing and we finally arrived home, to his apartment. He walked inside and I stood in the doorway "I'm going for a smoke" I said "I'll com-" Hardin began "alone" I added as I shut the door in his face.
I came back at least 30 minutes later to our lamp smashed all over the floor and Hardin sat in a chair with headphones in, listening to some rock music "Hardin" I said, ignored. I slammed the door shut "Hardin you twat!" I shouted, pushing him slightly earning a look from over his shoulder but no talk from him, I put my middle finger in his face and walked into the bed room to get changed into my pjs:
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